Generally, drawer slides are channel-shaped members comprising two or more channel sections installed within cabinetry of various kinds, and which have the capability of guiding drawers and drawer-like constructions within the cabinet space. As can be appreciated, movement of the drawer slide is desired to be fairly effortless when traversing between a closed position and an open position. It is also typically a function of drawer slides to allow the drawer or drawer-like construction to open far enough to gain substantially complete or full access to the contents therein.
In the industry there has arisen a terminology relating to "precision" drawer slides. Generally speaking, precision drawer slides are directed toward applications where the load capacity of the drawer slides is considered to be fairly significant. The loading considerations may start in the range of 75 to 100 pounds and may exceed 200 pounds at the upper end. This terminology, however, encompasses a great many different slide designs and should not be viewed as limiting, either in terms of the design of the particular slide, or the application to which it is put.
One particular type of drawer slide design is a telescoping precision slide. In this particular design, two or more channel members operate in a telescoping fashion such that the smallest member extends to the most outward position. Many different precision drawer slides are made utilizing this general design concept, and it should be noted that they cover a wide variety of applications and load capacities.
The general method by which the precision drawer slides are mounted includes fastening the larger, or outer, member to the cabinet structure, and separating from the slide assembly a member that is independently mounted on the drawer sidewalls. The most common precision slide of this type includes a third, or center, member which typically remains engaged with the mounted cabinet member. It is possible after such mounting of both the cabinet assembly and the drawer member to reengage the two back together. Since the same steps are taken on the opposite side of the drawer and cabinet structure, a drawer and cabinet in the preinstalled state just described may be completely engaged with the precision slide.
Since the drawer slides of the present invention are mainly directed toward furniture constructed from wood, the "fit" of the drawer within the cabinet is usually subject to correction before the installation process is completed. The need for correction is immediately apparent when the drawer is closed and a visual inspection results in the determination that the drawer front does not fit square or plumb within the cabinet structure. At this point in time, the prior art would require that the drawer be opened and the drawer portion of the precision slide be disengaged from the cabinet portion and the drawer totally removed from the cabinet. Then it is possible to adjust the mounting position of the drawer portion of the precision slide by loosening or removing the screws holding the member to the drawer sidewall and making the appropriate directional adjustment. Reinstallation of the drawer follows the previously described procedure. This process is repeated until such time as a good fit is established.
However, there has been a longstanding need in the industry to provide for a quick and efficient method of adjustment to accomplish drawer fit. Removal of the drawer from the cabinet is a time consuming step, especially when the trial and error approach must be utilized several times before achieving a good result.
There have been attempts to improve the installation process of precision slides, the most notable being a slide of the progression type. As compared to a telescoping drawer slide, the progression design has an upper channel member and a lower channel member interconnected by a slidable plate. This "over and under" design stacks the channels vertically within the space between the cabinet structure and the sidewall of the drawer. Versions of this product are known which include through holes, or access holes, in the channel members so that access to the mounting screws holding the drawer to the drawer member is obtained. Thus, adjustment of this type of drawer slide is possible when the drawer is moved to the fully open position. At this point, the screws can be loosened, the drawer adjusted, the screws then retightened, and the drawer closed, to check fit. The process is repeated until a suitable fit is achieved and the screws are thereafter tightened down.
Prior to the present invention, access holes in a telescoping drawer slide which would allow adjustment of the drawer in the installed condition were totally unknown. The reason for this lies in part to the increased complexity involved in horizontal alignment of the various components of a telescoping drawer slide. As compared to the over and under progression type of drawer slide, there may be two or more components of the slide mechanism, such as ball retainers, center channels and the like, impeding access to the mounting screws.
In the prior art, during installation of the cabinet portion of the drawer slide to the cabinet structure, it is necessary to move the component elements of the cabinet portion so as to achieve access for each particular mounting hole. Thus, it may require moving a center channel and ball retainer into different locations. The typical precision drawer slide is mounted by screwing the cabinet member to the cabinet sidewall of a drawer, and the two can be slidably reengaged. After engagement, the drawer may be moved from an open position to a closed position and the need for any adjustments is determined. Any subsequent adjusting of the drawer requires only that the drawer be extended to the open position sufficient to expose the mounting screws in the drawer member by means of access ways compatibly disposed about the center channel. The adjustment can take place by loosening the mounting screws, as required, and the foregoing steps repeated until the desired fit is obtained.
In addition, a drawer slide and/or method for installing a drawer using a slide of the type described herein further comprises the additional step of mounting a cabinet assembly with a cabinet channel and a center channel in slidable relation, into a cabinet structure where the inner ball retainer assembly is held in a latched position so that access ways are in alignment. The access ways therefore enhance installation of the cabinet portion of the drawer slide by facilitating straightforward and direct mounting of the cabinet member to the cabinet structure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a drawer slide which reduces the time and effort involved in installation of a drawer in a cabinet. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for installing a drawer in a cabinet utilizing a slide of the-type described herein. These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent as the details of the invention are disclosed below.